


Dancing

by Cryo_Bucky



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Dancing, Gen, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 20:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7068613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryo_Bucky/pseuds/Cryo_Bucky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is determined to teach Steve how to dance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing

“C’mon Steve, no girl is going to want to dance with you if you don’t know the first thing about it.” Bucky slung his arm around his tiny friend, leaning on him as they walked back to their apartment after another unsuccessful double date.

“They don’t want to dance with me in the first place, Buck, they’re not exactly lining up to get with someone they could easily step on. Not when there’s guys like you around, you big lug.” Steve jabbed his elbow into Bucky’s side, fishing his keys out of his pocket to unlock the door when they finally reached home, “I still can’t believe you convinced me to go out with you again. You know they’re never interested in me. I always let you talk me into stupid stuff, like letting you move in with me.”

Bucky grinned at him, taking off his coat and hanging it on the slightly lop-sided hat rack. “All my ideas are good. I’ll find a good dame for you yet.” He looked around their small apartment, running his fingers absently through his hair as Steve puttered around tidying up his desk.

Their apartment was pretty small, but it served them well enough. Steve kept it tidy, despite Bucky’s best attempts to mess it up. Bucky hadn’t shut up about their moving in together once Steve lost both of his parents. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Steve could take care of himself, but he really didn’t want to leave him alone. Steve also got sick every winter without fail; whenever he got wet, really, poor Steve was sick at the drop of a hat and it worried Bucky almost every day.

“I’ve got more important stuff to worry about than finding a girl. It’ll happen when it happens.” Steve continued to tidy his desk, even though it was already about as clean as it could get.

Bucky crossed the room and touched his shoulder gently. “It’ll make me look really bad if after I spend all that time talking you up you let a girl down by stepping on her shoes.” He hated seeing Steve unsure of himself. He’d known how great Steve was since they were kids, why couldn’t anyone else seem to see it?

“Hey, here’s a crazy idea. Why don’t I teach you how to dance?” Steve looked up at him, his blue eyes filled with confusion. Steve’s emotions were always written clear as day on his face.

“Did someone put something in your drink? Don’t tease me.” Steve pushed his hand off, going to sit on their worn couch and grabbing his sketchbook and a stick of charcoal.

Clearly Steve didn’t want to talk about it, but now that Bucky had the idea in his head he couldn’t shake it. Steve could be stubborn as hell, but Bucky had learned it from him just as well.

“C’mon Steve, it could be fun. Dancing is great!”

Steve proceeded to ignore him, scribbling away on a drawing he’d been working on since this morning.

Bucky wandered over to the old radio that his mother had given him a few years back. Switching it on he twisted the dial, watching the needle work its way through the stations. He stopped when he found a song he knew they both liked. It was slow enough to do the job. Flashing a bright smile at Steve, Bucky crossed the room again and nudged him.

“No way Buck, and turn that down, you’re gonna disturb the neighbors. It’s late.” Steve looked up at him over the top of his sketchbook, his brows knitting together in his favorite serious expression.

“I’ll leave you alone if you just let me show you the basics.” Bucky couldn’t help but smile at him, Steve’s dour look not affecting him in the slightest.

After a long moment and an even longer sigh Steve put down his sketchbook. “Fine.”

Bucky beamed, immediately pushing the coffee table out of the way to give them enough room in the middle of the floor. “It’s easy, don’t worry.”

Steve still looked incredulous, his arms folded as he looked his friend over.

After scooting the furniture as much as he could Bucky turned the radio up a bit, honestly not caring about their neighbors, no matter what Steve said. They’d be fine.

“Okay, first thing’s the most important. If you’re worried about looking stupid you’ll tense up and you _will_ look stupid. You just gotta relax and do what feels right. Not unlike any other time you’re with a dame.” Bucky winked and Steve’s cheeks pinked. He was always such a prude.

Stepping forward Bucky held his arm out for Steve to take, a flush rising to his own cheeks. For some reason his brain hadn’t put together that to teach Steve to dance he’d have to treat him the same way he would a girl, and while he knew Steve would punch him if he told him, doing so wasn’t much of a stretch. Steve had always been small and frail, and Bucky had naturally looked after him, but for all their camaraderie and a lifetime of friendship Bucky had never thought of Steve like that. He was like a little brother, slightly annoying and bull-headed, but Bucky wouldn’t give him up for anything.

He shook himself. He was making way too big a deal out of this. Steve was Steve, and Bucky was just showing him the basics so he didn’t make a fool of himself when he finally managed to convince a great girl to dance with him. Steve deserved as much.

“So don’t get tense. What else?”

“Well-“ Bucky stopped to glare at the radio when it suddenly cut out, the wiring was already wearing out.

Steve immediately pulled away from him. “Guess we can’t-“ He blinked when Bucky grabbed his hand. “Wha-?”

Bucky swung him around, humming between a cheeky grin. _“I’ll get by, as long as I have you…_ ” He sang, watching the surprise on Steve’s face turn to something more akin to a real smile.

“ _Though there’ll be rain…and darkness too…_ ” Bucky spun Steve around again, his heart swelling with genuine joy when Steve began to laugh, his face lighting up as he threw his head back. Steve always teased him about singing in the shower, told him he should quit his job at the mechanics and sing on the street for his supper. Bucky always shot back that Steve was just jealous because he couldn’t sing worth a shit.

Bucky had to stop once Steve started to wheeze, letting him sit down to catch his breath. If there was one thing Bucky knew it was how bad Steve’s lungs were.

“You’re a big idiot Buck. You’re making me out to be one of the dance hall girls.” Steve looked up at him, his eyes bright and his cheeks flushed from their dancing.

“Well, the first lesson of dancing is having fun!” Bucky brushed his hair off his forehead, going over to fiddle with the radio.

Steve straightened after catching his breath. “You’ve always been a sap. What’s up with picking the cheesiest song to sing?”

Bucky shot him a look as he gave the radio a good smack and it crackled back to life. “You’re just jealous because you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, or sing without getting lightheaded.” Steve threw a pillow at him.

Bucky neatly dodged the pillow and turned his gaze back to his friend. “Alright, let’s see what we can do about your two left feet.”

*          *          *

 

 

“You must have danced.”

Steve turned his gaze to Agent Carter briefly before looking away again. He was definitely sure this was the longest conversation he’d ever had with a woman. Usually he had Bucky with him, actually, he’d _always_ had Bucky with him.

“Well, asking a woman to dance always seemed to terrifying, and the last few years, it just… didn’t seem to matter that much. Figured I’d wait.” Steve kept his gaze on the street that rushed past them, trying not to notice Agent Carter’s sweet perfume.

“For what?”

Was that pity in her voice, or genuine concern?

“The right partner.” His mind immediately drew him back to that night with Bucky, the first and only time he’d danced with anyone. No way was he going to tell Agent Carter that he’d done something so embarrassing. Steve tried to ignore the ache in his chest. It had only been a few months, but he already missed Bucky intensely. With everything that had been happening in his life lately, he’d still thought about his friend every day.

 

 

*          *          *

 

_“I’ll get by…as long as I have you…_ ”

Bucky jerked as if a live wire had been stuck inside him, his eyes wide and fearful as he looked around the empty street. He had failed his mission; been unable to kill his target. He’d never failed. He hadn’t felt this way in a long time, but with this mission he’d been compromised… His mission… He knew that man, and it wasn’t just that he’d seen him before. He _knew_ him.

“ _Though there’ll be rain…”_

There was a motorcycle coming down the street, this was his ride. He stepped smoothly out of the shadows, snagging the driver off the moving bike as it went past. He had no intention of returning to the Red Room, to Hydra, so he had to go as far underground as he could.

_“…and darkness too…”_

The throwing up feeling was still there, his mind reeling.

“Steve…”

**Author's Note:**

> Very quick drabble to get back into writing. I'm planning to write more with them, so keep your eyes peeled!   
> Let me know what you think!


End file.
